Written by

Scott Sigmund Gartner

The release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl highlights a fundamental difference between the war in Afghanistan and previous American conflicts. The U.S. has achieved a historic first: There are now no U.S. military personnel held captive in Afghanistan. Bergdahl was the last POW.

The figures are striking. The Defense Department's Prisoner of War and Missing Personnel Office lists the number of troops unaccounted for from past conflicts: